An addiction is any thinking or behavior that is
habitual, repetitious, and difficult or impossible to control.Usually the addiction brings short-term
pleasure, but there may be long-term consequences in terms of one’s health
and welfare.

Most experts believe that all addictions have
two components.

(1)The first component is
the obsession, which is a mental preoccupation or craving.For example, the workaholic may obsess about
the tasks that need to be completed and the constant guilt feelings that
whisper, “You need to be doing more.”Or an alcoholic may obsess or crave after a drink.

(2)The second component of
the addiction is the compulsion, which is behavior that lives out or acts out
the mental obsession.For example, the
workaholic works twelve-hour days at the office to satisfy his craving for
work.An alcoholic has his drinks to
satisfy his craving for alcohol.A
compulsive spender buys things that he cannot afford to satisfy his craving.

Some argue that an addiction is a disease,
however, at the Minirth-Meier Clinic, the doctors do not call addiction a
disease.They call it a
disorder.They say, “It is vogue these
days to refer to addiction as a disease.The problem with that word is that it sounds like something you
catch, like a virus, rather than something you choose to do.Recovery does not take place until the
addict takes responsibility for his or her choices.By calling addictions such as
alcoholism diseases, we risk conveying that the addict is not responsible
for the addiction.”Addiction is a
choice.Every addiction is 100%
curable if the addict is willing to take responsibility for his or her actions.

The most common destructive addictions in our
society are alcohol, drugs, and gambling.Cigarette smoking, overeating, excessive use of coffee, sugar and
chocolate, constant need for exposure to TV and noise, compulsive sexual
activity, and the need to wield power and buy things can be added to the
list.

4.FOURTH,
LET'S EXAMINE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ADDICTION?

a.THE
BIBLE TEACHES THAT WE ARE NOT TO BE MASTERED BY ANYTHING.

Read
(1 Corinthians 6:12).What did Paul
mean when he said, "I will not be mastered by anything"?

Our bodies are considered a temple where the
Holy Spirit lives.God the Spirit
lives inside of all Christians.Many people say they have the right to do
whatever they want with their own bodies. Although they think that this is
freedom, they are really enslaved to their own desires. When we become
Christians, the Holy Spirit fills and lives in us. Therefore, we no longer
own our bodies. “Bought at a price” refers to slaves purchased at auction.
Christ’s death freed us from sin, but also obligates us to his service. If
we live in a building owned by someone else, we try not to violate the
building’s rules. Because our bodies belong to God, we must not violate
His standards for living.We
must not pollute God's temple with the addictive sins of the flesh.

If we love God, then we will do everything in
our power to honor Him by taking care of our bodies.Since our bodies do not belong to us,
we should not abuse them with harmful addictive agents.These verses should inspire us to stop
abusing our bodies with the addictive sins of the flesh.

b.THE
BIBLE TEACHES THAT WE MUST NOT GET DRUNK WITH ALCOHOL WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST
ADDICTIVE AGENTS.

Read
the following verses.What do you learn
from each passage about the affects of drinking alcohol?

Drinking alcohol can cause bad decisions.Xerxes
made a rash, half-drunk decision, based purely on feelings. His
self-restraint and practical wisdom were weakened by too much wine. Poor
decisions are made when people don’t think clearly. Base your decisions on
careful thinking, not on the emotions of the moment. Impulsive decision
making leads to severe complications.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul contrasts getting drunk with wine,
which produces a temporary “high,” to being filled with the Spirit, which
produces lasting joy. Getting drunk with wine is associated with the old
way of life and its selfish desires. In Christ, we have a better joy,
higher and longer lasting, to cure our depression, monotony, or tension.
We should not be concerned with how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but
how much of us the Holy Spirit has. Submit yourself daily to His leading
and draw constantly on His power.

First, to overcome an addiction, we need have a
spiritual relationship with God.Battling an addiction without God is very difficult.However, once we obey the gospel and
are baptized into Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to live in us and
transform our sinful hearts.With
God in our lives, we have His help in overcome our addictions.

Second, to overcome an addiction, we need to
stop the sin that is causing our addiction.We need to say "no" (Titus 2:12) to sin and live
for righteousness.

Third, depending on the severity of the
addiction, some people may need to go to a professional counselor to
receive treatment.

CONCLUSION:

1.An addiction is a
disorder not a disease.It is something
that we can overcome.

2.The Bible teaches that
we must not be master by anything. If we love God, then we will do everything
in our power to honor Him by taking care of our bodies.Since our bodies do not belong to us, we
should not abuse them with harmful addictive agents.Our love for the Lord should inspire us to stop abusing our
bodies with the addictive sins of the flesh.

3.If you struggle with an
addiction, then may the Lord help you conquer it…